Innovation is vital to the success of ZESPRI® Kiwifruit. From the moment Isabel Fraser brought the small black seeds of the first kiwifruit into New Zealand, the industry’s orchardists and horticulturists have worked to improve the quality of our kiwifruit.
Our growers and the entire kiwifruit industry enthusiastically look for better ways to produce ZESPRI® Kiwifruit. This quest for constant improvement, innovation and excellence does not waver – it is the cornerstone for ZESPRI’s success.
ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit is proof that the kiwifruit industry does not just sit back and watch the years go by. This innovative, delicious fruit was developed by Plant and Food Research New Zealand, and is now owned by ZESPRI. This breakthrough put ZESPRI at the forefront of the kiwifruit industry worldwide; ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit is now New Zealand’s second highest horticultural export earner after ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit. That’s a pretty amazing feat in just 10 years of being on the market.
Other ways ZESPRI continues to strive for innovation includes:
- developing new varieties
- developing new ways to use kiwifruit’s great taste and health benefits
- finding new markets and customers
- using quality assurance processes
- improving orchard management
- improving environmental growing methods
We are also proud of the ZESPRI® System, which we apply to all of our exported kiwifruit. This programme guarantees that our kiwifruit is grown with a focus on food safety, environmental protection and ethics.
ZESPRI has an exclusive arrangement with Plant and Food Research New Zealand around the development of new cultivars. We have a long standing commitment to invest in research and development to support the ZESPRI® System.
ZESPRI® Kiwifruit Ingredients was created to identify ways for kiwifruit to be used in other food products around the world. This includes using any ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit that isn’t used for ZESPRI’s annual marketing programme.
The original pioneering spirit that developed and drove the New Zealand Kiwifruit industry has never left it. The continuous quest remains a driving force for ZESPRI International. ZESPRI focuses on using natural methods to develop and grow kiwifruit that is safe to eat, deliciously healthy and grown in a sustainable manner. ZESPRI has combined its marketing, innovation and supply chain expertise with the best science thinking from Plant and Food Research, New Zealand’s horticultural research institute, to create the world’s largest natural kiwifruit breeding programme.